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Easy Apple Crumble Pie

A beginner pie made with fresh apples and a crumble topping.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword american dessert, apple pie, apples, crumble top
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cool time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Crumble Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • cup granulated white sugar
  • cup packed dark or light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter cut into pieces, room temperature

Apple Filling

  • 3 pounds mixed apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick Granny Smith
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. Make the crust and place in a 9 ½ inch pie plate. Refrigerate or freeze while preparing pie ingredients, or overnight. See recipe notes for pastry recipe.

Make crumble topping:

  1. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the sugar mixture with hands or using a pastry cutter. A food processor may also be used, only pulse for a few seconds, do not over mix! Set aside. If the kitchen is warm, place the crumble mixture in the refrigerator.

Make the filling:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place one rack on the lowest setting in the oven, and the other rack in the top third of the oven.
  2. Mix the apples, granulated and brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Assembly and baking:

  1. Spoon the filling into the chilled pie crust. Do not pack the filling, or the pie will take longer to bake!
  2. Place the cut up pieces of butter on top of the apples, evenly distributing the butter over the apples.
  3. Dump the crumb mixture on top and spread evenly.
  4. Place the pie on a foil lined baking sheet (to catch any drips).
  5. Bake on the lowest rack at 375 for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden and the apples are bubbly. If needed, place the pie on the upper rack for the last 10 minutes of baking if the pie isn't browned enough on top.

Recipe Notes

  • For the flakiest pie crust, use this recipe. Each recipe makes two 9-inch crusts. One-half the recipe or make two single crusts and freeze one for later. 
  • 1 lb of apples = approximately 3 small apples (lunchbox size) before peeled and cored. For this recipe you will need about 9 small apples or about 7 medium to large.
  • The best apples for this pie are Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. Or a combination!
  • This pie may be frozen and baked later. Follow instructions for making and assembly. Wrap pie in Saran Wrap. Make sure pie is wrapped well to avoid freezer burn or drying out! Remove from the freezer for 30 minutes before baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven for a full 30 minutes to 375. Place pie on bottom rack for 50 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until apples are bubbly.
  • If baking the pie ahead and freezing, wrap after cooled, freeze. The day before serving, thaw in the refrigerator for one day, then let sit at room temperature, uncovered for at least two hours before serving.